Governors Island Is Open

Governors Island is open for the season and the Red-tailed Hawk nest has hatched. I saw two feedings. They eyasses are still too small to see, but we should see them in a week or so. This is the second year for the nest. Last year due to COVID-19 most of us missed watching the activity on the nest, so this year will be special for may of us. Also seen on the island were the sheep that have been introduced to help control the invasive plants around the hammocks.

Governors Island – A Week Later

I got lucky on Monday.  When I arrived at Governors Island, the Red-tailed Parents and a fledgling flew back and forth from the weathervane to the communications tower for about 45 minutes.  It looks like in early August the fledgling is being a pest.  It’s time he/she starts to learn to hunt and he/she was looking for handouts.  How this develops over the next few weeks will be fun to watch.

After all of the action was over, I did catch up with one of the adults who was harvesting branches.  I think it was the male.  It looks like he’s adding twigs to a different spot on the communications tower.

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Governors Island

I went out to see the Red-tailed Hawk family on Governors Island today, and got to see the parents and at least one fledgling. Folks have reported seeing two fledgling, but I haven’t seen them together yet.  Hopefully, I’ll see both at the same time the next time I go out to the island.

One of the parents was hanging out near Fort Jay in various trees only about 15 feet high.  It seemed unusual but might be a defense against the American Kestrels (one is in the video and the photographs below) and Fish Crows that hang out around Fort Jay.

The fledgling was all over the place, at the weathervane, on the communications tower (where the nest is located), flying around Fort Jay and even circling in the sky. 

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Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks

For years we’ve seen second year hawks and adult hawks out on Governors Island but never found a nest or saw fledglings.  This year, while Governors Island was closed to visitors, a nest was built, and was successful.

The opening of the island was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Today was the first day the island was open to the public for the year. On the first ferry open to the public, I counted five other bird watchers looking to see what was out on the island.

The Red-tailed Hawk parents were easy to find.  One was on the communications tower, where this year’s nest was located.  The other on a weathervane.  

I couldn’t find the fledglings, and almost gave up before finally finding one in a tree in the middle of the Urban Farm.  This area is locked and not open to the general public, but I was able to take a few photographs.

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